AR: 3.9

The trials and celebrations of a pioneer girl who settles on the frontier.

Okay so- 3 stars for nostalgia buuuuuut I didn't love how this one played out with the house fire...that said I was happy to see the Larson's settled and living out the dream they had when they came to America. ( )

This story takes place in Minnesota, in the winter of 1854. Kirsten, a nine-year-old girl whose family immigrated to America from Sweden, is growing up and forming an identity for herself. She loves and understands animals, so her brother brings her along for hunting trips. Unfortunately, Kirsten brings home a baby raccoon, which escapes in her family's cabin, knocking over an oil lamp and burning the home to the ground. Desperate for money, Kirsten and her brother continue to hunt for animals whose pelts they can sell. They come across a lonely old man's home, where they find the owner dead inside. Knowing that the old man had no family or friends, they make arrangements to bury him, and they take the luxury fur pelts he had in his home to sell. With the money they made from the pelts, the family is able to purchase a new home, and the story ends optimistically.

The central message of this story is that families stick together during hard times. After their cabin burns to the ground, Kirsten's mother is not angry with her, she is simply happy that all of her children are safe. Kirsten's Aunt and Uncle take in the family until they are able to purchase a home of their own. The old man, with all of his expensive pelts, did not have to worry about money, but he was alone in his death. Kirsten's family, although struggling, always had the warmth and support of a large family to fall back on when things became difficult. ( )

These are cute books, stories to go along with the American Girl dolls they are about.

This one involves Kirsten, a young girl growing up in the early days of Minnesota on the frontier. She helps her family however she can, including going fur trapping with her brother. Of course, when they find a baby raccoon caught just by the tail in one of their traps, things get interesting.

A cute story, but seems to rely heavily on happenstance for a positive outcome. Of course, what do you expect when there are only about 60 pages to tell a full adventure? ( )